


what is made in your heart

by ThePackWantstheD



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family, Gen, Season/Series 02, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23695492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePackWantstheD/pseuds/ThePackWantstheD
Summary: "You're drowning, Alex." She could see his haunches raising, so she plowed forward without giving him time to speak because that seemed to be the only way to deal with Alex. "They weren't really chatty last night, but it's clear you take good care of them. I'm not saying you don't. But you don't have enough time, Alex. You're taking care of them, but you aren't taking care of yourself between them and work." She met his eyes, repeating, "You are drowning, Alex, and you can only keep swimming for so long before you go under without being able to get back up."or: In a world where Aaron and Amber are just a little bit younger when their mother breaks, Alex raises his siblings.And so does Meredith.
Relationships: Meredith Grey/Alex Karev
Comments: 33
Kudos: 100





	what is made in your heart

"I didn't sleep with Olivia." Meredith turned at the sudden proclamation, turning to see Alex standing behind her. She was standing in the NICU alone with the quints, the nurse that had been watching them having walked out a few moments ago, and was just about to leave when he spoke up. "I don't know who she actually got syphilis from, but it wasn't me. I just let her say that because I needed an excuse as to why I stood Izzie up so I wouldn't have to tell her the truth."

Meredith had seen Alex not too long ago, but he looked....resigned, panic and exhaustion embedded in the lines of his face. 

The sudden change had her, asking, "Why did you do it then?"

"My mom went crazy half a year ago and my dad's a drug-addict who I haven't seen since my younger sister was conceived, so I'm raising my siblings," Alex said. "My sister was supposed to stay at a friends house, but my sister's got a whole fucking slew of issues associated with my mother's psychotic break and ended up having a panic attack, so I had to turn around half-way to the restaurant and stay home with her all night."

Meredith looked at him, took in the way his stance was closed and defensive and the way his face made it obvious how much he didn't want to share any of this. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I need a favor and you are the only one talking to me, so I need you to know that I'm not a total prick."

"And what's the favor?"

"I fucked up, and now Robert Martin is sitting in his hospital room dying alone, and I can't let him die alone when it's my fault I'm dying," Alex said. Something crossed his face that Meredith had never seen on his face before, sadness and defeat and a whole host of other things that Alex was so great at hiding when things went wrong in the hospital. "So if I take you over there right now, can you please stay the night at my place, because I can't leave Aaron and Amber alone. But I can't let Robert Martin die alone, either."

Meredith wasn't really good with kids, but Alex...Alex was her friend, was her family. And he was opening up to her for the first time, putting all of the issues that had turned him angry and mean on the table right next to all of the things that made her dark and twisty, so that he could ask her for help.

Who was she to tell him no in those circumstances?

"Okay, but we've gotta get in and out of the locker room quickly. I don't need another lecture from Izzie about taking your side."

* * *

Meredith stood in the kitchen doorway, taking in the small room as Alex moved around it. 

The apartment was small, that much was obvious, but the kitchen seemed practically non-existent between the dingy old appliances - a toaster, a coffee maker, a microwave - covering the counter and the dishes stacked so high that turning the faucet on would have flooded the area. The door of the refrigerator was covered in papers - a drawing of a castle painted with water colors, a test of some sort with 96/100 written in blue ink and circled, what appeared to be the first page of a thesis paper which had clearly been there for a while - and the top of it was a mess of cereal boxes and oatmeal packets. 

Taking up most of the walking space in the room was a dining room table, just a small light wood four-person one. There were backpacks hanging off three of the chairs. Two of them - a navy one with orange foxes on it and a black one with some red detailing - looked relatively new while the third was the ratty thing she recognized as the bag Alex brought with him to the hospital. Despite the chaos of the counters, the table was relatively clear. There were just a few scattered papers and a well-used notebook. 

Sitting at the table were two kids. One was a girl that she guessed was around eight or nine. with long tresses the same dark color as Alex's hair that fell down her back. The other was a boy a couple of years older, twelve or thirteen maybe, with hair several shades lighter than his siblings, a sandy blond rather than a dark brunet. Both of them had the same dark eyes as Alex, and they were using them to watch Alex as he moved around the room.

Alex had been talking since the moment they walked into the apartment, checking on the kids and asking them questions and occasionally making a verbal note of something about them to Meredith. She didn't think she'd ever heard him speak this much without it being at least 87 percent medical jargon. 

"Mrs. Matthews said you guys did your homework?"

"Yeah," the boy said. Meredith was pretty sure Alex had said their names were Aaron and Amber. Alex opened his mouth, but Aaron continued before he said anything else, "All of it, I promise."

Alex had been searching through the refrigerator, but he tossed a look over his shoulder, "Even science?"

"Yes." 

"Okay. There's tuna casserole in the fridge still." Amber made a small, unhappy sound, but before she had even finished groaning, Alex was saying, "I know you're sick of it, Am. Just deal with it for one more night okay? Since I'm working all night, I'll be around for dinner tomorrow and I'll make us something good okay?"

"Chicken and cheese potatoes?" she requested. 

"Sure. I'll grab some cheddar soup on my way home." Alex closed the fridge, moving towards the table. He leaned over to press a kiss against Amber's head and then ruffled Aaron's hair. "I know this is sudden and she's a stranger, but please be good for Meredith okay? I'm not sure when I'll be home, but it'll be sometime in the afternoon. If I get out before you guys get out of school, I'll stop by and pick you guys up, alright? Bring the bus back if I'm not there when you're done, and one of the Harrisons or Matthews will be here waiting for you." 

"Okay," his siblings chorused. 

"Alright, see you guys later."

"Bye, Alex. Love you," Amber said. 

"You too, twerp." Alex looked up at Meredith, saying, "You don't have to do too much. Just make sure they eat something other than chips and fruit-roll ups, have Amber take a shower, and try to get them both in their rooms by ten even if they won't go to sleep."

"Food, bath, bed," Meredith said. "Got it. Sounds easy."

There was a moment when Alex seemed to be warring with something, then he said, voice soft and sincere, "Thank you for this."

"No problem. Go see Mr. Martin."

Alex made a sound of agreement, and then he was pushing past her and out of the apartment. 

* * *

Meredith was sitting at the small table, both hands wrapped around a panda shaped mug filled with steaming coffee and one of Alex's study books open in front of her, when she heard the apartment door open. 

"Hey," Meredith called out, leaning over so she could see Alex through the entryway that separated them. 

"Mm hi." She watched as he put his things away, toeing out of his shoes and shrugging his jacket off. Even if she hadn't known why Alex had stayed at the hospital for so long, she could have been able to guess from the slump of his shoulders and the heaviness of his movements. "Were they okay?"

"Yeah. I think Aaron had a nightmare because he came out of his room around three to get a glass of water, but I didn't hear him screaming or anything." He'd warned her about both of his siblings dreams when they'd been in the car on the way over, but she hadn't witnessed any of the worst-case scenarios he'd prepared her for. She supposed that was a good thing, because she wasn't sure she'd have been much comfort and she knew that Alex would have come back if she called him - no matter how badly leaving Mr. Martin alone would have affected him. "I didn't hear anything out of Amber's room, though. And I didn't see her after she went to bed."

Alex glanced in the direction of the hallway the bedrooms were down, as if making a note to check on them, before saying, "They were fine before they went to sleep too?"

"Yup." 

"That's good." He turned to face her. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "Thank you for staying with them."

Meredith meant to say that it was okay, meant to say your welcome or that it was no problem. Instead, she opened her mouth and said, "Let me help you."

Alex stared at her. 

Meredith took a deep breath and then said what she had been thinking about all night, "You're drowning, Alex." She could see his haunches raising, so she plowed forward without giving him time to speak because that seemed to be the only way to deal with Alex. "They weren't really chatty last night, but it's clear you take good care of them. I'm not saying you don't. But you don't have enough _time_ , Alex. You're taking care of them, but you aren't taking care of yourself between them and work." She met his eyes, repeating, "You are drowning, Alex, and you can only keep swimming for so long before you go under without being able to get back up."

"I've got it," Alex said. "I've managed this long. I'll keep managing."

"You won't," Meredith said. Then, because Alex was _drowning_ and he was just one part of her family but the people in this apartment were all he had, "Let me help you. Let me do this with you."

**Author's Note:**

> 1) Hi everyone :) I hope you liked this chapter and that everyone is excited to see how this goes. 
> 
> 2) If anything about the changes to Alex's backstory isn't clear, please leave a comment about it so I can either clear up in my reply to you or try to clear it up in the next chapter if lots of people are confused :)
> 
> 3) Not much Aaron and Amber in this chapter, but they will be much more present in later chapters. And I'm hoping to make later chapters a bit longer too, but I'm not sure yet.


End file.
